The week had been exhausting and all he wanted to do was sleep for the next twenty four hours. Everyone else could handle any emergencies. Why he’d decided to go back to running the new version of SHIELD he didn’t know. He should have actually retired, but that was just so boring.
Finally meeting the spiderkid had been enlightening. He was better than expected, smarter too. Now Nick knew why Stark had decided to help him out. With a little guidance, he could be even better than Iron Man. He could lead the next generation of heroes, and maybe even manage to stop that team from blowing themselves up. Stark had managed to keep his identity a secret for longer than Nick would have liked, he just wanted to make sure the kid was getting all the training he needed, and that had rubbed him the wrong way. He knew he could help the kid just as well as Tony could. The kid just needed the push he had given to the others.
Nick double checked to make sure no one had opened the door to his temporary apartment in London before he opened it. Nothing was disturbed and he hadn’t gotten any alerts from the motion sensors, but it was always better to be safe. He walked in and flicked the lights on when he heard a voice. Immediately he pulled out his gun and pointed it at the source.
“I expected better security from a man who’s faked his death twice.” Tony said. Nick turned around and glared at him. Tony just waved, a frown on his face.
“You been waiting there a long time?” Nick asked, pocketing his gun, taking his coat off and hanging it on the hook by the door. He wasn’t that surprised. had expected a visit from Tony. He knew the man would be angry about his recruitment of Peter, but it had to be done. Europe had needed a hero and Spiderman was in the perfect position to be one. What he hadn’t expected was for Tony to get into his apartment without him noticing. He hoped the man never tried to take over the world because even the most advanced tech he could find couldn’t stop him. Though he knew Wakanda would be able to hold out.
Tony didn’t answer him at first, just watched him with a frown on his face. Nick would never admit to being unnerved by that frown. He knew that Tony was a powerful man, was proud that he was. He’d watched the man change, become a powerful hero and a good man. He didn’t like when he was angry with Nick though, and he knew that he was at the moment, but it was a calculated risk. Tony knew that Peter was going to need to fight battles, hard battles, on his own. That he wouldn’t be able to protect his protege forever. If Nick had to be the one to pull that bandaid off, so be it.
“I told you to stay away from Peter.” he said when he finally spoke.
Nick shrugged. “There was a need and he was here. You can’t keep him wrapped up in bubble wrap for the rest of his life. He has abilities that help people.”
“He’s a kid!” And there was the edge of anger in his voice Nick had been waiting for. He was surprised that Tony hadn’t pointed a repulsor in his face. He was damn protective.
“You’ve been training him and he’s been fighting in New York without you. He fought Thanos”
“And he almost died! He did die! We brought him back but he died, Fury. He needs more training. He fights in New York where I can be there for back up. Where others can be there for backup.” Nick noticed Tony’s left hand shake and raised an eyebrow. The few times he’d seen him since the fight with Cap and defeating Thanos, he’d noticed it happening more and more if Tony was stressed.
“He won’t always have backup. He needs to learn what to do when no one is there to save his ass. You won’t always be here, Stark.” He said it matter of factly, sitting on the couch across from the lounge chair Tony was in. “And if he did get in over his head here, I have you on speed dial, but I think he did a damn good job. You should be congratulating him, not yelling at me.”
“He doesn’t want to be a world saver yet and he shouldn’t have to be! He’s still a kid. He should be allowed to be a kid!” If looks could kill, Nick would definitely be dead by now and it made a small smile appear on his face.
“He’s a kid with extraordinary abilities. You can’t ignore that and neither can he. He can pretend he’s normal all he wants, but in the end he isn’t and he never will be again.”Nick responded.
“He has these abilities, but there are more than enough adult heroes in this world to take care of these threats. He can be trained and he can stop crime happening in the boroughs, but there’s no need for him to face someone like Mysterio alone. You don’t need to make him do things like this without backup. You have no right.” Tony’s fist came down on the arm of the chair, his face red.
“He’s not your son, Tony.” Nick said quietly.
“He may not be my son, but I’m still around to protect him.” Tony said, eyes narrowing. He stood and his armor encased him. “Pull something like this again, and you won’t have the luxury of having a good eye.”
Nick smriked at him. “That a promise?”
“No, it’s a threat.”